Others on this site and NoMSG have mentioned theanine as a possible help for MSG troubles. It looks like it may help. It is known for its natural glutamate antagonist qualities, and calming effects. It apparently crosses the blood brain barrier quickly and is a free form amino acid like taurine and glutamate. It apparently increases GABA, which may mean that it helps the body to convert glutamate to GABA more efficiently. I'll be looking more into this. It also appears to help mood, since it increases dopamine levels. That may mean something for those Parkinson's patients, and those of us poisoned by aspartame and sporting pituitary tumors, since dopamine is necessary for us. I'll keep you posted. On my way to whole foods to try it, since my anti-tumor meds don't seem to be working lately.

Theanine 100 is a unique amino acid found almost exclusively in green tea that exerts beneficial effects on brain metabolism. It may improve learning ability and sensations of pleasure by affecting dopamine and serotonin neurotransmitters in the brain. Theanine also exerts protective effects on the brain by antagonizing glutamine toxicity.

One more thing. I have seen reference to mercury and other heavy metals interfering with theanine metabolism. I know some on this site have mentioned mercury from fillings causing many health problems. Mercury = theanine deficiency = glutamate increase = dopamine decrease = trouble?

See above links to note that if you eat Alaskan wild fish you should have no problems with mercury intake. i think the very highest level tested was .1 parts per million, Fish is very healthy and important part of our diet and Alaskan fish is available all over the US. It is generally flash frozen with water and not treated with chemicals. At least on the Alaska end. Most processors do as little as possible to the fish. We gain so much more from actual fish than we do from eating a processed fish oil.

Our local fish monger just got some fresh Alaskan Salmon (non-farmed) while it has been "running" for the past couple of weeks for his customers to try and freeze. My husband said it was wonderful compared to the farmed salmon!

You can find Alaskan salmon on the internet but it is also found in most Whole Foods, Nature's and Trader Joes. Even Fred Meyers has carried it. Just ask at your local grocery store. there are salmon runs at many different times so there is a good supply and it is generally shipped frozen.

Check out: http://www.seafoods-direct.com/and other companies on the internet. May be worth asking for feedback in writing. Here is transcript of my recent correspondence with this one company:

"Can you guarantee that ABSOLUTELY no fresheners, chemicals or preservatives are used to preserve or keep the wild salmon fresh? I am extremely sensitive to these types of additives." Their Response: "Hello, Yes I will completely 100% Assure you that we use none of the products you mentioned, or any others. Our salmon Is cared for and processed immediately to assure natural freshness and quality! ....Lisa @ Alaska Seafood's Direct"

Whole Foods didn't carry theanine. Found some at a local health food store. Made by Now Foods, Bloomingdale, IL 60108. http://www.nowfoods.com The other ingredients - "cellulose (capsule), white rice flour, magnesium stearate (vegetable source and silica." It is found in green tea. Interesting, because Asians typically drink green tea. Another potentially protective food ingested at the same meal as MSG in Asian culture.

Carol - Thank you so much for info on theanine. I now understand why I feel so different when I have green tea (instead of coffee and other teas) -- it has an antagonistic effect on caffeine. I also learned at the Japan Int. Research for Agric. Studies in an article entitled "Simultaneous determination of amino acids and glutamate" that there are "sham teas" out there that contain sodium glutamate. (See http://ss.jircas.affrc.go.jp/engpage/jarq/34-3/horie/horie2.htm ) Quote: "Sometimes sham teas are produced by the addition of sodium glutamate to enhance the taste of tea in the manufacturing process." More to watch out for, I guess -- but you always warned us about tea processing! Probably all references to theanine on the net are posted by supplement companies or organizations connected to them such as LEF but LEF has a good overview at http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2001/oct2001_abs_1.html if anyone wants to know more. Carol, I hope the theanine works for you in addition or in place of the anti-tumor meds.

What brand of green tea do you buy? Where can it be found? I've wondered about the green tea from Trader Joe's. How can we even know if the tea we drink has MSG added, besides getting a nasty reaction?

Hi guys. This is unreal what I'm reading. I've been so sick for so many years. I'm going to try going msg free and see what happens. One thing I want to mention. If you are allergic to Ragweed which I am extremely, you should never... have Chamomile as they are cousins, over 1 cup of cham tea I slept for 3 days. I almost go comatose. I have read up on green tea and it is a relative of Chamomile too. I don't know if I react to it or not. Just thought I'd let you know, because I retain a lot of fluid and it is allergy related. Thanks for all your willingness to help others!

Has anyone taken L-Theanine and had it successfully help with MSG symptoms? I don't see that this discussion had any testimony about someone using this successfully. I'm also curious about GABA. Anyone ever tried this?

Thank you Roy. I just purchased a Gaba product which also has Theanine in it. Recently being on the "diet" and taking magnesium, taurine, vinpocetine, CoQ10, B12, B Complex all seem to have helped the headaches go away. The tinnitus still seems to come and go but its only been a few weeks. I'm hoping that it will be gone more then it stays in the future. I realize that it may never go away completely.

That sounds like a good list, Lorraine. In my understanding from various reading, GABA is more directly protective and theanine helps but also increases dopamine, and they work synergistically (sp?). Mag, Taurine, and B6 will also help with the glutamate (and the others are good for other reasons).

I'm posting this Excerpt & NEW link to a Life Extension Magazine Oct 2001 article which LEF recirculated today (Note: the 6/9/2002 link posted above does not work).

A very interesting feature of theanine, which is just now being investigated, is its ability to protect neurons. Theanine may protect against glutamate, an essential brain chemical that is toxic in high amounts. Although essential to brain chemistry, too much glutamate kills brain cells. The most common cause of glutamate overload is insufficient blood supply. If the brain doesn’t get adequate blood flow, glutamate surges, calcium increases, and free radicals damage cells.

“Cerebral vascular dementia” is dementia caused by insufficient blood flow due to bad blood vessels. Glutamate overload is one of the features. Theanine may protect against this type of dementia. In studies on neurons in cell culture, theanine significantly reverses glutamate-induced toxicity. In vivo studies show the same effect in rodents.

Theanine is structurally similar to the amino acid, L-glutamic acid. The similarity enables theanine to physically block glutamate (which is a version of glutamic acid). Although researchers aren’t positive how theanine works yet, they theorize that theanine blocks the NMDA receptor which is the doorway that glutamate uses to enter cells. Because of the similar structure, theanine can also fit in this doorway, blocking access to glutamate. But although it can fit in the doorway, theanine does not have the same effect on the cell as glutamate does. Rather than causing damage, theanine acts like a shield against damage.